Fastening means



May 13, 1930.

o H. MERZ 1,758,263

FASTENING MEANS Filed Jan. 20, 1927 mmlmnu llillllllllllll IMMCZZ? 23 M3/. Wing, 35 ByWWufW- Patented May 13, 1930 UNITED STATES OTTO H. MERZ,OF WEST ALLIS, WISCONSIN FASTENING MEANS Application filed January 20,1927. Serial No. 162,222.

My invention relates to fastening means which may be adapted for generaluse but which is designed particularly for use in combination storm andscreen doors for dea tachably fastening either the glazed or screenedclosure in the door frame or casing. The invention may be said to coverimprovements and additions in the fastening means disclosed in PatentNo. 1,570,072 issued J an- 10 nary 19th, 1926.

The important feature of improvement is the eflicient securing of thefastener independently of nails or screws and by means whichautomatically function when the fastener is 15 inserted into its seatingchannel or pocket on one of the frame parts to be secured together.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the corner of a door frame andclosure insert secured therein by means of my improved fastening means;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on plane 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the fastening mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an end view; and

Fig. 5 is a bottom side view.

I have shown the fastening mechanism applied to a door frame forfastening in the opening 11 of such frame a closure 12 which may beeither glazed or screened. The door frame has the weather ledge 13 alongone edge surrounding the opening 11, while the closure frame or insert12 has the ledge 14 along the opposite edge, the insert engaging againstthe ledge 13 and the ledge 14 engaging against the door frame when theinsert is in the opening 11 to thus form a weathertight fit.

The fastening structure comprises a frame or body 15 and a fastening orlatch bar 16. The body is formed from a single piece of sheet metalwhich is depressed to provide a longitudinally extending guide groove 17and the surrounding flange 18, the inner end of the groove and flangebeing semicircular. The longitudinal walls of the groove 17 aredeflected to form the dove-tail sides 19 and 20, and the door frame isrouted out with a dove-tail bit to form the dove-tail channel 21 forreceiving the dove-tail sided body 15. Such dove-tail joints .assistmateriall .1 in holding the fastening structure in its 0 annel with itsflange against the face of the door frame, the fastener structure framebeing readily insertible longitudinally into the supporting channel. Thefastening or latch bar 16 which is stamped integral of sheet metal hasthe dovetailed sides 22 and 23 which fit and cooperate with the innerfaces of the dove-tailed side walls 19 and 20 of the body 15. The outerend 16 of the fastening bar is deflected upwardly a trifle in order toprovide the beveled under surface 24. The innerend of the fastening baris deflected upwardly to form the abutment 25 by means of which the barmay be readily slid to its inner or outer position. For preventingaccidental removal of the fasten- 70 ing bar from its supporting frameand also to gauge the outward and inward movement of the bar, a detenthump or abutment 26 is deflected from the bottom wall of the groove 17to extend into the longitudinal slot-27 in the bar, the abutment thencooperating with the ends of the slot to limit the outward or inwardmovement of the bar.

In the bottom wall of the groove 17 is the opening 28 for the leafspring 29 which is secured to such bottom wall behind the opening as bymeans of a rivet 30. The front part of the spring extends along theopening 28 and its front end has the upward deflection hind the roundedcorner of the bar at the base of its extension 25, such engagement ofthe spring being a distance above the lower face of the bar so that thebar will be yieldingly held in its outer position but may be returnedinwardly by exertion of pressure against the bar end. The spring opposesin ward movement of the bar sufficiently so that when the fasteningstructure is in use the bar will be retained in its outer position andcannot accidentally work its way inwardly.

The inner end 32 of the spring extends a distance beyond the rivet andis pointed as indicated at 33 (Fig. 5) so that the spring end mayreadily pass into the wood behind the channel 21 when the fasteningstructure is inserted therein, and preferably the spring end is slanteddownwardly so that when it is forced into the wood it will draw the rearend of the fastener body to firmly seat it in its receiving channel andwith its flange 18 intimately against the face of the supporting frameork- At its front end the bottom wall of the groove 17 has integraltherewith the extension comprising the wall section 3st extendingdownwardly at substantially right angles with the groove bottom, and thewood entering point or wall section extending inwardly substantiallyparallel with the groove bot tom. When the fastener mechanism isinserted in its supporting channel 21 the point 35 will be driven intothe wood of the supporting framework, and in order to cause the fastenerstructure body to be drawn intimately to the sup .orting framework, thepoint 35 is given a s ight downward slant, and the wall 3 L may alsoslant forwardly a trifle so that when this fastening extension is drivenwith a hammer the point will draw downwardly on the wall 34: so that thebody of the fastening structure is drawn firmly against the surface ofthe supporting framework. During such driving of the point the wall 34Will be bent so as to engage firmly against the side edge of the frameto which the structure is applied. The point 35 together with the springend 33 will thus securely and intimately hold the fastener structurebody in its operative position on the supporting framework, and the useof screws, nails or extra securing devices will be eliminated.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the application and operation of the fasteningstructure is illustrated. The fasteners are applied to the supportingframe 10 to extend at right angles with the closure receiving opening11, and for receiving the projected fastening bars the inserted frame 12has the kerfs or recesses 36 formed therein, and the beveledunder-surfaces 24 of the fastening bars engage against the inner sidesof the ker-fs in order to. clamp the inserted frame to the door framewith weathertig'ht engagement.

The dove-tail joint connection between the fastening structure body andthe supporting frame need not be depended upon to hold the body in placeas the spring end 33 and the point 35 will be mainly depended upon tosecure the structure, and as the spring and point are inaccessible whenan insert frame is in place in the supporting frame, it will beimpossible to remove the fastening structure. The pressure of the spring29 against the underside of the fastening bar will prevent rattling ofthe bar and release movement of the bar until sufficient positivepressure is exerted against the bar projection 25. No amount ofrattling, jarring or jolting of the door can therefore dislodge thefastening bar from locking position.

Having described my invention I claim as follows:

1. A fastening device for the purpose described comprising a body parthaving a longitudinally extending groove, a fastening bar slidable insaid groove and having interfitting engagement at its sides with thegroove sides, a spring secured to said body and extending at one endinto said groove and against said fastening bar to yieldingly look saidbar in adjusted position, the other end of the spring being extended toform a wood engaging point, and an extension at the front end of saidgroove forming a rearwardly extending wood engaging point below saidbody.

2. In combination, a support having a surface channel extending thereinfrom a side edge thereof, a fastening device comprising a body part ofsheet metal having a longitudinally deflected part for sliding into andengaging in said channel, said deflected part forming a groove, afastening bar slidable in the groove, a point extending rearwardly fromthe rear end of the deflected part for entering the material of thesupport when the body part is slid into said channel, a wall extendingdownwardly from the front end of said deflected part and a pointextending rearwardly from the lower end of said wall, said wall engagingagainst said support side when the body part is slid into the channeland the point on said wall entering the material of the support, saidpoints serving to secure said body part in said channel againstdisplacement thereof at right angles with said support.

3. A fastening device for the purpose described comprising a body formedintegral of sheet metal and having a longitudinal deflection forengaging in a supporting channel and forming a groove, a fastening barslidable in the groove and confined therein, a spring securedintermediate its ends to the bottom and at the rear of said body, thefront end of said spring engaging said fastening bar to yieldingly holdit in adjusted position, the rear end of said spring extendingrearwardly beyond said body to form an anchoring point, a wall integralwith said body dopending from the front end of said groove, and arearward extension on said wall forming an anchoring point, said pointbeing normally slightly divergent from said body part whereby when saidbody part is applied in the supporting channel said point will be driveninto the material surrounding the channel to draw said body partdownwardly in said channel.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day ofJanuary, 1927.

OTTO H. MERZ.

